


Le Lièvre

by Jathis



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Amputation, Animal Abuse, Animal Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Genderfluid Character, Happy Ending, Hunt Gone Wrong, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 02:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21292277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: Stanley has a fear of being like Gaston
Relationships: LeFou & Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast), LeFou/Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast)
Kudos: 9





	Le Lièvre

With the loss of Gaston, the people of Villeneuve were no longer able to rely solely on one man to provide them with meat, furs, or leather. The construction and use of traps, combined with the organization of hunting parties, did what they could to keep everyone fed. With the wolves having left the forest, they had more land to hunt on at least. 

Stanley had always been good at setting up snare traps. It was a special skill, knowing just where to put them to always catch something a few hours later. They always knew just how much wire and pressure to use for a quick kill. Stanley never wanted to risk having the game suffer. 

Even Gaston had once been forced to admit that his youngest follower had a skill for such things. “You must have learned it from watching me,” he had said, clapping Stanley none too gently on the back and laughing when they stumbled forward.

Their skill with snare traps were incredibly useful after Gaston and the breaking of the curse. Every other day, Stanley would go out and set up traps, bringing most of the game to Villeneuve to be skinned and butchered for the villagers before taking the rest back to the castle for everyone else. Adam had offered to raise Stanley’s wages accordingly for the game but they had only laughed, shaking their head and saying he could use the money for something else.

Stanley was on the way to check the day’s traps. They had finished with their sewing, arranging everything so they could pick up where they had left off the next morning. With that, they slipped on their coat and hat, picking up a bag to hold whatever game they collected. 

Lefou caught them on the way out, taking hold of their wrist to make them stop. “And where are you off to, monsieur et madame?” he teased.

“Off to check my snares, monsieur,” they said with a smile. 

He raised an eyebrow at that, putting on an offended appearance. “Without a kiss?” Lefou demanded.

“You’re right. How foolish of me. Let me fix this at once.” Stanley lowered their head, chuckling as Lefou took hold of the ends of their scarf and pulled them down the rest of the way for the kiss. “Don’t choke me, monsieur…” they warned between soft kisses.

“Perhaps later...with something else instead of a scarf,” Lefou agreed.

“You are absolutely filthy.”

“Just for you.”

Stanley laughed, shaking their head before straightening up once more. “I will be back, mon cher. Perhaps I’ll have enough fur to make you gloves for this year’s winter.”

“Be safe, mon cher et ma cherie.”

They held up a hand in farewell, taking their leave. The bag was slung over their shoulder as they went, forgoing the use of a horse to walk. It was easier to check the traps this way and made sure he didn’t spook any other animals nearby.

Most of the snares they had put out had caught something. Fat squirrels and hares waited to be removed and slipped into their bag and even one fat bird had been caught trying for the bait, its neck crushed easily by the strong wire.

The all too familiar sound of a hare screaming in pain made their heart sink. Stanley hissed under their breath as they followed the sound, dropping their bag along the way. “Merde!”

Sometimes Gaston liked to make a hunt last longer. Often this meant purposefully keeping an animal alive far longer than it should be. He would shoot a deer and watch it race around in pain and fear, bring down a boar and then work on removing its tusks before it had even died, and sometimes...sometimes he would make hares scream.

Stanley had always hated these kinds of hunting trips. They happened more often after Gaston started trying to court Belle and she kept turning him down. They had to smile and applaud like everyone else, pretending that they didn’t feel like they were going to be sick as a pheasant with a shattered wing thrashed around the floor.

“Oh, la pauvre!” Stanley muttered. A hare had gotten a front paw stuck in the snare instead of its body or neck. It was still very much alive, unable to escape from the powerful wire as it screamed in pain only hares could manage. For a brief moment Stanley considered putting the animal out of its misery. It wouldn't be too hard to break the animal’s neck or crush its head and yet…

“Easy...easy now…” Stanley cut the wire from the main body of the trap, freeing the hare. They scooped them up into their arms, wincing at the way the animal froze up in terror. They went back for their bag and then headed straight back to the castle, heart hammering in their chest. “Je suis désolé petit lièvre…” they whispered.

Chapeau opened the doors for Stanley and blinked when he saw the blood on their chest and arms. “Monsieur..?” he asked.

“Please tell Mrs. Potts to meet me in the kitchen?!” Stanley asked, unable to keep the panic out of their voice. The older man could only nod, watching as Stanley ran off, hugging a wild animal to their chest.

***

“Chapeau said that you nee...oh! Oh the poor thing!” Mrs. Potts was at Stanley’s side at once, shaking her head at the small animal on a cloth on the table.

“Can you help me?” Stanley asked hopefully, voice trembling.

“Of course, dear. I’ll do my best.” With that, Mrs. Potts took charge of the situation. The animal had gone still and quiet, most likely some kind of shock. This made things a little easier at least. Neither of them would have to worry about the animal’s shrieking.

“The leg…” Stanley whispered.

“It has to come off,” she said. She looked up when she heard Stanley take in a sharp breath, patting their arm. “We can be fast. I know we can do it. You’re as skilled as your mother with a needle and thread.”

Stanley could only nod, watching helplessly as she picked up a knife.

***

“Stanley? I heard that something happened while you were out today and I…” Lefou’s words died away as he looked into the bedroom. His spouse was sitting in a chair, dried blood on their arms and clothes as they held a sleeping hare in a little bundle. It had been several hours since Stanley’s return but Lefou had been busy helping Belle to come and see them any earlier. “Stanley..?”

“It’s my fault,” Stanley murmured, “I didn’t set the trap right and its paw got caught by the wire and…” Lefou touched their cheek, forcing Stanley to lift their head. “...and I didn’t...I didn’t want to be like  _ him  _ and I just…”

“Stanley, you could never be like Gaston. That’s why I love you.” A tear fell down Stanley’s cheek and Lefou brushed it away with his thumb. “Oh cherie…” he whispered.

“It’s sleeping,” Stanley murmured, looking down at the hare. “Mrs. Potts says it should recover. We can’t let it out in the wild though. It would be too easy for a predator to catch it.”

“You closed the wound?” Lefou asked. Stanley nodded and Lefou smiled a little. “I thought so. The stitching is even and precise.”

“It’ll need a name.”

“Hm?”

“The hare. It’ll need a name.”

“Ah…” Lefou considered a moment, tilting his head as he considered the sleeping animal. “Clémence,” he finally said.

Stanley blushed, stroking the top of the hare’s head. “That’s a nice name,” they agreed.

“Here. Let me hold it.” Lefou carefully took the bundle from Stanley. “You need to wash up, mon cher.” Stanley hesitated and Lefou pressed a kiss to their temple. “It’ll be okay,” he promised.

***

It would take a few days but little Clémence did manage to survive the ordeal from the trap. It’s hopping was a little crooked and twisty but Clémence was able to get around fine. The hare served as a kind of pet for everyone in the castle.

The hare however enjoyed Stanley’s company the most and it wasn’t too unusual to see Clémence sleeping beside Froufrou in the dog’s bed while Stanley worked. Lefou used this as further proof that Stanley was nothing like Gaston, reminding them that even Gaston’s horse barely tolerated him.

“You’re my beautiful and kindhearted Stanley. Always.”


End file.
